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Software Synths

Arturia Emulator II VvsArturia SQ80 V

Summary

Arturia Emulator II V and Arturia SQ80 V: 2 Arturia software synths compared side by side. They differ on 8 of 10 compared specifications.

Key differences

  • Synth type: Digital (sampling) on the Emulator II V and Hybrid (digital oscillators, analogue filters) on the SQ80 V.
  • Voices: 8 on the Emulator II V and 16 on the SQ80 V.
  • Emulates: E-mu Emulator II (1984) on the Emulator II V and Ensoniq SQ-80 (1987) on the SQ80 V.
  • Polyphony: 8 voices on the Emulator II V and Up to 16 voices on the SQ80 V.
  • Oscillators: 8-bit sample playback (27.7 kHz), original factory bank on the Emulator II V and 3 digital oscillators (DOC chip), 400+ waveforms, AM and hard sync on the SQ80 V.
  • Filter: Modelled analogue filter per voice on the Emulator II V and Modelled CEM analogue resonant low-pass on the SQ80 V.

Both are the same on plugin formats (VST2, VST3, AU, AAX).

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2 items
Arturia Emulator II V software synthesizer

Arturia

Emulator II V
Current
Arturia SQ80 V software synthesizer

Arturia

SQ80 V
Current
General
ManufacturerArturiaArturia
StatusCurrentCurrent
Released20212021
Engine
Synth typeDigital (sampling)Hybrid (digital oscillators, analogue filters)
EmulatesE-mu Emulator II (1984)Ensoniq SQ-80 (1987)
Voices816
Polyphony8 voicesUp to 16 voices
Oscillators8-bit sample playback (27.7 kHz), original factory bank3 digital oscillators (DOC chip), 400+ waveforms, AM and hard sync
FilterModelled analogue filter per voiceModelled CEM analogue resonant low-pass
EffectsReverb, Phaser, Flanger, Chorus, Drive, DelayInsert effects
Software
Plugin formatsVST2, VST3, AU, AAXVST2, VST3, AU, AAX
Features
FeaturesMulti-timbral, Arpeggiator, MPE, MTS-ESP microtuning, Standalone app, NKSArpeggiator, MPE, Macro controls, Standalone app, NKS